Edward Tadros | ercol

The January Furniture Show marks the beginning of 12 months of celebration for Ercol, the Buckinghamshire cabinet furniture and upholstery brand enjoying its centenary year in 2020.

Its stand in Hall 1 at the NEC, Birmingham will be almost twice the size of previous iterations, showcasing the best the Princes Risborough company has to offer.

Edward Tadros, Ercol chairman since 1993, says the manufacturer plans to hold a series of events throughout 2020 to mark the 100-year anniversary, introducing several iconic pieces of furniture along the way.

The first of those — a “new take on an old piece,” he says — is a recreation of a classic sideboard first designed back in 1962 by Lucian R Ercolani, the brand’s founder and Edward’s grandfather.

It formed part of the company’s successful Windsor range, hewn from solid English Elm in a post-war era when most residential furniture was predominantly manufactured out of plywood or chipboard.

The 2020 version — called the 467 Windsor Centenary Cabinet — will be produced in solid Ash, reflect the design of the original, but be available in Ercol’s current range of finishes. It will be manufactured as a limited edition run of a hundred, and previewed at The January Furniture Show next month (Jan. 19–22), before it hits stockists’ floors in the spring.

“The Windsor Sideboard showcases many of Ercol’s classic design hallmarks, from crafted dovetail joints to beautifully sculpted handles and turned legs, so it seemed like a natural choice for our 100th anniversary year,” says Edward, who adds that the cabinet will be showcased in an area of its exhibition stand that will also feature graphics explaining both the history of the product, and also the company itself.

“Despite the fact that it was designed more than 50 years ago, this practical piece of furniture is as relevant today as it was when Lucian first designed it.”

The 467 Windsor Cabinet will also be the first piece to feature the exclusive centenary logo, to be featured on all products that were originally designed by Lucian, as well as collections that are launching in line with the anniversary throughout the centenary year.